Automatic railway-switch



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- O. E. SEIFERT.

AUTOMAI'IG RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Apr. 9, 1895'.

Y cams PETER$ 0a.. PHOTCHJTHO wAsm-uqngw 1 (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

0. E. SEIFERT. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

gtgag tau-ma. Mama 0 UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO EMIL SEIFERT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTO MATIC RAlLWAY-SWITCH.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,077, dated. April 9, 1895.

' Application filed June 6,1894. Serial No. 513,621. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, OTTO EMIL SEIFERT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Brooklyn, countyof Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Railway- Switches, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to improvements in automatic railway switches in which the switch tripping or operating devices located on or connected with the car and deriving their motive force therefrom, operate in con= junction with levers and connecting rods located under or adjacent to the track to antomatically move the switch bar, point or tongue, and it is an improvement upon my invention shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 518,281, dated April 17, 1894, granted to me.

The object of my improvement is to pro-.

vide locking levers and tripping devices that are capable of automatic unlocking after having been put in position and locked by the motorman or car-driver, the unlocking being effected in and by the act of operating the switch.

I attain my object by the mechanism illustrated in the. accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car provided with the locking and automatic unlocking switching apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,inclnding a top view of the track and a closed switch. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the track and switch, the switch being open. Fig. 4 is a detail side view of a part of a car in part section and with the switch tripping mechanism. Fig. 5 is aplan view of one rail and associated Switch operating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a section on line 00-00 of Fig. 4. Fig; 7 is a view of the hand lever operating the switch. Fig. 8 is a partial vertical section on line w-a: at bottom. Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevation of the switch tripping devices and the locking and unlocking attachments in different positions. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are detail sectional views on line oc=-0c of Fig. 9 with the parts in three I different positions. Fig. 13 is a part sectional and part top view of the switch levers and lockingdevices, and Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the parts as shown in Fig. 13.

Similar letters relate to similar parts throughout the several views.

T is the switch point or tongue, which is made substantially in the usual manner, is pivoted at one end, and its movement to and fro, made in opening and closing the switch, as shown, is under the control of a system of levers and connecting rods located between the rails and adjacent to the rail on the side at which thefswitch point or tongue is located, substantially as shown in my previous invention and patent; but I do not intend to confine myself to the precise arrangement thus shown, since by the use of enlarged bell crank levers a switch point or tongue may be located and operated at or adjacent to the op: posite railor side of the track upon which the tripping levers and rods are located, and

other immaterial variations may be made in the apparatus.

Bis a bell crank lever provided at its outer end with a pivoted or. hinged rod H havinga hook at its outer end engaging the switch point or tongue T on the outer side for the purpose of moving the same in opening the switch. The other end of the bell crank lever B is connected, by the connecting rod R, with the switch lever L located in the outer groove U of the guide plate G.

The switch lever L is normally held in its retreated position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4t by a spring S; but when the tripping contact is made therewith by the tripping lever M on the car, the switch lever L is thereby moved forward with the moving car, and communicates motion to the bell crank lever B through the 'rodR, and also to the switch tongue T, which is moved into the position of the open switch as shown inFig. 3, in which position of the switch tongue the car under way will prowho properly manipulates the lever C and the chains 0 C arranged forlthatpurpose. "The tripping lever when thus thrown'in'to position for tripping, is automatically locked at the same time, or by the same operation.

The motormans lever C is connected by a chain C with the upper end of -thelocl ing lever L which is pivoted to the tripping lever M above its bearing pin, in such a way as, when moved, to overcomethe springsSia and S andthrow the tripping lever M into posi tion for tripping. The locking lever L is providedat thelower eudwiith ahbeveled locb ing hook H which engages with the spring latch H so shaped and located as to engage the same. On releasing the lever C, the trip:

ping lever, being lockedfand held by' the.

springilatch 1-1 'remains in *POfiltlOllifDl m'aking contact with":the'switch lever L. The tripping lever-M is'provided at its-lowerend with a releasing orunlocking' lever L1 pivoted thereto, and atits lowerend 'providd wi th the shoulder or offset 0, which forms a-movable shoe or strikingpart'for the lower end lever L is'intheposition shown iii l i g s 9 and 11, audtheunlocking lever L is iri the position shown inthesamdfigures. 'lhetripping shoe or face in'akin g contact-with the switch lever' L is thrown hackward at "the ioweneiid,

in the act of tripping-until it str ikes th'fa'ce 'ofthe trippin g lever M addisbtopprdthereby,

and its upper cndcoinciden'tlymoves forwaid,

coming into contact with the shoulder D on the spring-latch H and its motion being coutinuedyunlatches the two engagd-:hobks*or parts of li and ll; as shown iir-Figs; 12' and 13. The locking lever L beiug thus released, comes under the *control'bf "the spring s and is thrown *ihto its disengagd position shown inFigs; 10, 13 and 14; thus -leaving thetrippinglever M' unlocked" byan= ahtomeltic nnlocking operation. When the tripping-lever haspassed the switchingilevei L; it is taken control'ofby the springSZiits topis thrown backward, and its lower end' is moved into-its most upward or non-tripping position. 'l he unlocking lever L pwhen nbt controlld by contactwi'th the switch lever Lyis h'eld in'position as shown in 'Figsi 9,- 10"and Ell byithe spring S pressing agai nst itslo'wer-endgvvhich springis overcomeby'the'cohtact iof the*tripping leverwith the switching 'lever; and assumes control againwhen' the *trippingdever I is released from contact' with the switcli-lcver. The upper edgebf the releasing lever or unlocking lever is roundedso as to -f-acili- "S to makeit capable of"yielding imorder to prevent injury and allow for obstacles, such ilevereM' for closing it.

as stones, obstructing the movement of the tongue 'l. The rod -R mayvhav-the same device,asshown in Fig. 4, but it is not absolutely necessary. The tripping lever M is provided with similar associated devices for locking and unlocking, and makes contact *with a swit'clrlever L connected with a switch rod R and bell crank lever B, all for operating the switch tongue T in an opposite directiti on,-as-in 1ny previous invention and patent before mentionedthat is, the tripping lever M is for opening the switch and the tripping When thelever C is in the vertical, position shown in Fig. 7, the

tripping levers M and M are both of them swung up out of the way of the switch levers L and L; but 'when 'thrown to theleft it I brings the tripping'lever M into position for *trippingmnd"When throWn'tO the right brings the t ripping lever M into position for tripping; and the lever C isrestored to its vertical lposition by the action of "thespringS after the t rippingleverisuhlocked. 'lherela tions of the parts heretofore described may-be made and adjustd so that when the car is to take the t rack to the"right the "motormanhnust move thleven 0' wine leftyan'd when it is no take the track to the-left he must move the "lever Gto the fightybutif' desired, the arrangcment of the parts may be reversed and -so listed that when the car is 'to take the *riighthahd track tllGlllOtOIlllPLll must move the lever O to the right to properly operate the switch; andvicewersa. This may be accomplishcd'by making the suitable variation in the relations of the connecting'chainsyas *by crossing them'or leadiugthenr straight to the t ripping levers M arid M'.

The upper end bfthe uhlocking lever L is suppo rtd' on one sideby the -surlace of the from thelocking lever L Ircl'aim' as my in-vehtion-- 1. A pivoted switch tripping lever-in combination with an automatic lockingandalso anautomatic uhlocking lever each carried upon and pivoted 'to theswit'ch tripping lever, substantially as shown and described.

25 A switch tripping leverin combination with a locking lever,an uulocking lever and a spring lathh; substantially as shown and del scribed 3."*A*sw itch trippingleverin combination with ann nlocking lever provided with a shoe *face-fon the contact surface of the tripping lever,- substantially asshown and it described.

4. *Iu*con1bination ,-=a switch tripping'lever =in"combination with adocking lever and an =un'locking" lever;- and swit'clr moving devices "fortmoving' the switchdn one direction and a switich tripping-leveralsoincornbinationwith arlockinglever and an unlocking 'lever, and 1 switclr-moving devices fonmovingthe switch point or tongue in the opposite direction.

5. The tripping levers M M provided with and a spring latch, substantially as shown the automatic looking and unlocking levers and described.

2 3 gersatIljlLiE 1n comblnatlon with switch le- 7 OTTO EMIL SEIFERT 5 6LA switch tripping lever in combination Witnesses:

with a locking lever provided with a spring, JAMES A. SKILTON,

an unlocking lever provided with a spring, EDWARD S. BERRALL. 

